The development and improvement of side impact protection, including side curtain airbags, has been of continuing priority in the automotive industry. Side curtain airbags are often mounted adjacent the vehicle's roof rail, doorframe, structural pillars, occupant seating, or in some instances within the side door. These side curtain airbags are designed to inflate and be deployed to prevent impact of an occupant with hard or dangerous objects within the vehicle, such as windows, door handles, and the like. The side curtain air bag is typically inflated along the side window or the side door to provide cushioning restraint of an occupant's head and/or torso during a side impact or extended rollover collision. The side curtain air bags aid in the protection of the occupant during an accident or a collision.
However, presently known side impact airbag systems are difficult to install during vehicle manufacture. Specifically, current air bag systems are bulky and require numerous operators to correctly install the side air bag system directly to the side frame of the vehicle. While installing the side air bag, other operators are simultaneously required to install grab handles, coat hooks, beauty panels and other features commonly attached directly to the side frame of a vehicle. As a result, installation typically includes overhead assembly within the vehicle of numerous operators working simultaneously, which may result in operator injury, increased error rates, reduced quality and lower productivity.
Today, most vehicles are manufactured on an assembly line. Requiring the installation of numerous parts within the same location of the vehicle increases manufacturing time and costs. Accordingly, there is a need in the art to reduce the number of components required to install during vehicle manufacture.
Furthermore, current air bag systems frequently interfere with and compete for interior space with grab handles, coat hooks, overhead lighting, entertainment systems, headliners, and the like, thereby adding further complexity to vehicle design and manufacture. Also, even while close in proximity within the vehicle, the installation of grab handles, coat hooks, interior trim, and side curtain airbags involves numerous fasteners resulting in additional manufacturing costs.
Consequently, there exists a significant need for a side curtain airbag assembly that is integral with many of the surrounding systems and components, which may also be easily installed during vehicle manufacture.